BY: THERY SANON
Migos is arguably one of the hardest working groups in music right now. Since 2013, when Y.R.N dropped and they began their rise, Migos has put out a combined 16 different albums, mixtapes and EPs. When you combine that with all of the touring, endorsements, and other projects that they are working on, Quavo, Takeoff, and Offset just don't stop. The Georgia-born trio have constantly been able to create and produce music that literally anyone can get lit to.
After an incredible 2016 that included a jump to the top of the charts with singles like "Pipe it Up", and through guest appearances on tracks by artists like Travis Scott and Ty Dolla $ign, Migos had the whole country dabbing.
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Migos carried this momentum into 2017. After appearing on FX's Donald Glover created masterpiece, "Atlanta", and having their song , "Bad and Boujee" become their first ever platinum single, there could not have been a better time for Migos to drop their second studio album: "Culture."
From the outset of the album, there's a different vibe that surrounds "Culture" and sets it apart from the rest of Migos' work. This isn't the same Migos that gave us "Bricks." As opposed to just dropping 14-16 hard hit-or-miss bangers, "Culture" is a more polished release, showing off their talents across several different styles of music. Diehard fans are still going to go crazy when tracks like "T-Shirt" and "Get Right Witcha" come on in the club, but this album is way more than that. There's a different vibe to each track, with songs like "Slippery" adding wavy flows to the album, and other songs like "Kelly Price" proving that Migos could actually put out R&B hits if they really wanted to. With beats produced by some of the best in the trap game today including Metro Boomin, Zaytoven, and the 808 Mafia, every track on "Culture" finds a way to set itself apart and be fire. It sounds like Quavo, Takeoff, and Offset finally found their fit with this album, and now they have the platform to show off how good they actually are.
One of the best things Migos has always had going for them is their teamwork. The signature "Migos Style" has always been the three of them working and building off of each other in spectacular fashion, with nobody ever overstepping their boundaries. It's a balance that many groups in music struggle with today, and with each new album that they put out, the bond continues to grow and the flows continue to get better. This is definitely present in the album's platinum single, "Bad and Boujee." From the millions of memes and shoutouts, to the number of performances that the trio has done live, "Bad and Boujee" has taken the world by storm. This was the first real exposure of the new "Migos Sound" and everybody was vibing to this different, chill sound. Migos has really grown, and "Culture" has given them the opportunity to show the world how much they've really changed since "No Label."
Migos has never really been big on features, because every track they put out sounds full and complete by itself, but "Culture" has an all-star supporting lineup that blended well with Migos and made tracks that were already hot just explode. DJ Khaled makes an appearance on the first track to remind everyone that Migos has always done it for the culture, and by about a minute in, he will have already convinced you that "Culture" is going to be the hottest album of 2017. Lil Uzi Vert and 2 Chainz make strong appearances on their features with their unique and zany bars, meshing well with the quickfire Migos style. Gucci Mane comes in on "Slippery" with a vintage verse for the old ATL hip-hop fans. The most unique feature on this album has to be Travis Scott on "Kelly Price." This track, produced by Scott has a completely different vibe from the rest of the album, but it works very well for everybody. It's kind of like "Beibs in the Trap meets Cocoon."
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Atlanta has been catching W's lately. From the Atlanta Falcons making it to the Super Bowl to the critically acclaimed success and second season pickup of Donald Glover's show, "Atlanta", the city of Atlanta, Georgia has entered the spotlight as one of the top cities on the East Coast. Atlanta has always been great, but nowadays, everyone who hasn't already realized this is getting hip, and it's dope. "Culture" is Atlanta's victory lap, capping off an incredible series of events. In a world where the phrase "good music" can mean anything, "Culture" is truly an amazing album. Music culture has always been about staying relevant, and as seen with timeless artists like Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar, the key to staying relevant often involves reinventing yourself and your style while staying true to what made you famous. Migos has managed to stay relevant for almost half a decade now, and using this understanding, they were able to raise the bar and reinvent the culture with this album.
